Tia Denton, 51, was stopped by Columbus police on Nov. 25 after an erratic afternoon bus route
that children described as frightening. She told police that she completed her morning bus route,
bought a bottle of whiskey at Kroger and then went home and drank two beers and a “tall cup” of
whiskey.

Police say that she had a bottle of Canadian Mist with her on the bus when she was pulled over.
A 9-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy were with her, too.

Denton has been charged with driving drunk, endangering children and having an open container of
alcohol on the bus. All are misdemeanors.

The case has been continued at the request of her attorney, Eric Nordman, who did not return
calls from
The Dispatch.

Denton’s resignation letter, which was dated yesterday, did not say why she was resigning.

If Denton is convicted in the drunken-driving case, she would not be eligible to drive a school
bus in Ohio. Anyone with a drunken-driving conviction in the past six years is disqualified.

A separate traffic-related case against Denton, also in Franklin County Municipal Court, has
been reopened. In that case, from 2007, Denton was charged with driving with an expired license,
and the case was dismissed, pending Denton paying the court fees. Denton didn’t, so a warrant was
issued for her arrest. The judge in that case has set aside the warrant, reopened the case and
scheduled it for trial in January, said Assistant City Attorney Robert Levering.